Milk carton loading machine



March 4, 1958 W. B. Low-:RIDGE MILK CARTON LOADING MACHINE Filed Feb. 15, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 HTTORNEY W/LL/HM B] LOWER/DGE March 4, 1958 w. B. LOVERIDGE 2,825,193

MILK CARTON LOADING MACHINE INVENTOR. W/LLm/w B. LOVER/DGE HTTORNEY MILK CARTON LOADING MACHINE William B. Loveridge, Waterbury, Coun.

Application February 15, 1955, Serial No. 488,249

10 Claims. (Cl. 53-163) This invention relates to dairy machinery, and more particularly to an apparatus for loading milk cartons into packing cases.

One object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus of the above nature in which square milk paper cartons arriving in single lile on a travelling horizontal conveyor are grouped into rows of three cartons on three parallel conveyors moving at right angles to said first conveyor, and in which said rows of three cartons are successively delivered upon a plurality of horizontal supporting tines extending from a pneumatically-operated pusher plate which then transfers four of said rows of three cartons each in a rectangular group of a dozen cartons, into a position above and in alignment with a rectangular packing case, into which said group of a dozen cartons are then lowered and deposited.

A further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of the above nature in which the group of twelve cartons are supported while being lowered into said packing case by twelve vertical spaced rods upstanding from a bottom plate which is mounted on a pneumatic plunger.

A further object is to provide a pneumatically-operated rectangular hood which is adapted to be lowered over said group of a dozen cartons and guide them while being loaded into the packing case.

A further object is to provide an apparatus of the above nature, which will be simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, easy to install and manipulate, compact, ornamental in appearance, and very eicient and durable in use.

With these and other objects in view, there has been illustrated on the accompanying drawings, one form in which the invention may conveniently be embodied in practice.

In the drawings,

Pig. 1 represents a top plan view of the improved apparatus, showing the carton pusher platek in its retracted position.

Fig. 2 is a. fragmentary top plan view looking in the direction of the arrows 2-2of Fig. 4 of a portion of the apparatus as it appears with the carton ejecting pusher plate in its fully extended position and with the group of twelve cartons resting upon the twelve vertical rods, prior to being lowered into the packing case.

Fig. 3 is a side view of the apparatus showing the carton pusher plate with the carton holding tines in retracted position, and showing the carton guiding hood in its raised position above the packing case with the carton lowering rods in their lowermost positions located below said packing case.

Fig. 4 is a similar view of the same, showing the carton guiding hood in its lowermost position with the cartons supported upon the vertical rods, above the packing case.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view of the same, showing the appearance of a group of a dozen cartons after they have been pushed down out of the guiding hood into the packing case by the upper ejector plate.

ted States Patent O rice Fig. 6 is a bottom perspective view of a milk carton packing case, showing the criss-crossed wires on the bottom thereof which support the cartons while permitting the loading rods to pass freely between them.

Referring now to the drawings, in which like reference numerals denote corresponding parts throughout the several views, the numeral 10 indicates a xed table for supporting a mounting bracket 36 for a cylinder 35 within which is a pneumatic plunger 34 carrying a main carton pusher plate 23.

The cartons 11 are adapted to be delivered in single le from a conveyor 14 to a fixed table 23a.

Provision is also made of a pusher plate 15 having a horizontal plunger 16 connected thereto, said plunger being adapted to reciprocate in a pneumatic cylinder 17 whereby the cartons 11 will be pushed from the table 23a onto the conveyors 13, 13a and 13b from the conveyor 14 when said cartons engage a control trigger button 59.

The cartons 11 are held on the conveyors 13, 13a, 13b by a pair of vertical side rails 18, 19-the entrance end of said rail 19 having a bent extremity 19a to facilitate the movement of said cartons past the corner adjacent the conveyor 14. The pusher'plate 15 is provided with a stop flange 20 to prevent the cartons from being moved by the conveyor 14 while the row of three cartons are being fed onto the conveyors 13, 13a and 13b. The cartons 11 are held on the conveyor 14 by a pair of guide rails 21, 22, as clearly shown in Fig. 1 of the drawmg.

The pusher plate 23 has ve horizontal spaced tines 29, 3, 31, 32, 33 extending laterally therefrom which serve to carry a group of 12 cartons arranged in 3 rows of four each, laterally above a rectangular packing case 37 as shown in Fig. 4.

After the dozen cartons 11 have been pushed upon the tines 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, they will strike three trigger buttons 26, 27, 28, which by means of suitable electrical or pneumatic apparatus will cause the main pusher plate 23 to be moved laterally at right angles to the conveyors 13, 13a, 13b and eject the group of a dozen cartons which have accumulated on the tine iingers 29 to 33 inclusive.

The pusher plate 23 carries a stop ange 24 which prevents feeding of the 3 rows of cartons 11 from the three conveyors 13, 13a, 13b while the group of twelve cartons are being carried laterally over the packing case 37. The table 10 also has a laterally extending stationary carton guiding end stop rail connected thereto.

After a group of twelve cartons 11 have been pushed off the tines 29-33 inclusive, they will be located above the rectangular packing case 37-the two opposite walls 37a, 37b of which, have rounded hand holes 38 near the tops thereof to facilitate the manipulation of said case. Two rows of crossing wires 39, 40 are arranged on the bottom of each packing case 37 to support the cartons when loaded therein. The packing case 37, whiley being filled with cartons 11, is adapted to rest upona pair of side angular guide rails 41, 42, from which said filled case 37 may be removed manually or by mechanical means.

To support the group of a dozen cartons 11 while they are being lowered into the packing case 37, provision is made of a bottom plate 44, from which twelve vertical spaced rods 43 extend upwardly through the apertures between the tines 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 and the crossed wires 39 and 46.

The bottom plate 44 has a flange 45 connected to the plunger 46 which reciprocates in an air cylinder 47.

1n order to guide the group of a dozen cartons 11, while they are being lowered into the packing case, provision is made of an upper rectangular hood 48, the walls of which have ared bottom edges 49.

Located within the hood 4S and below the top 5G thereof, is a slidable carton ejector plate 51 to which are attached a pair of upstanding plungers 52, 53 which reciprocate in a pair of vertical air cylinders 54, 55.

The hood 48 itself is caused to reciprocate up and down by a pneumatic plunger 56 which operates w thin an air cylinder 57 mounted on a bracket 58.

The trigger button 59 operates the plunger 16 to feed the cartons 11 in groups of three onto the 3 conveyors 13, 13a, 13b.

Provision is also made of a trigger button 6i? actuated by the lateral movement of the cartons 11 as they are pushed by the plate 23. Another trigger 61 is located below the path of the bottom plate 44.

Operation The conveyors 13, 13a, 13b which have previously received the three rows of cartons 11 in single file, will move said cartons in rows oftthree, until four cartons in each row rest upon the tine plates 29, 30, 31, 32 and 33 which are secured to the pusher plate 23.

The engagement of the end cartons 11 with the three trigger buttons 26, 27 and 28 will cause the air cylinder 35 to force the plunger 34 and pusher plate 23 forwardly and move the group of a dozen cartons 11 to the right, as viewed in Fig. l until they are vertically above the packing case 37, in the full line position shown in Fig. 4. The twelve vertical rods43 supported by the bottom plate 44, will then hold each of the cartons 11 in the positions shown. When the group of cartons strikes the trigger button 60, the plunger 56 will be operated to cause the hood 48 to descend over the twelve cartons ll resting upon the tines 29, 30. 31, 32, 33, and will prevent said cartons from falling ofi the rods 43, while the tines 2.9-33 are being `withdrawn by means of the plunger 34.

The plunger 46 under the actuation of the button di) will then lower the plate i4 and permit the cartons 11 to be pushed downwardly by the ejector plate 51 until they come to rest on the crossed wires 39, 40 at the bottom of the case 37. The ejector plate 51 will then be operated by the pair of plungers 52, 53.

l't will be understood that when the ejector plate El moves downwardly,. it will exert light pressure upon the cartons 11 causing them to be delivered into the packing case 37, which when loaded will be removed by manual or mechanical mechanism, and another empty case 37 will come into position upon the guide rails 41, 42.

This cycle will be repeated indefinitely and completely automatically.

While there has been disclosed in this specification one form in which the invention may .be embodied, it is to be understood that this form is shown for the purpose of illustration only, and that the invention is not to be limited to the specific disclosures, but may be modified and` embodied in variousother equivalentforms withoutdeparting from its spirit. In short, the invention includes all the modifications and embodiments coming within the scope of the following claims.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed as new and for which it is desired to secure Letters Patent is:

l. In an apparatus for loading square cartons into a rectangular packing case having a multi-apertured bottom, means to support said packing case in a fixed position, means for feeding a continuous procession of said cartons in parallel rows until a group of cartons in rectangular formation have accumulated, a horizontal reciprocating pusher plate provided with a plurality of horizontal tines for supporting said group of cartons as a unit and transporting them over said packing case, a vertically movable plate located beneath said packing case and provided with a plurality of upstanding rods adapted to pass between said tines and through the apertures in the bottom of said case, said rods serving to support said cartons after said horizontal pusher plate and attached tines has been retracted, and means to thereafter lower said vertically movable plate and rods to deposit said cartons in said packing case.

2. The invention as defined in claim 1, in which a single tile carton conveyor is provided for feeding cartons successively upon said parallel conveyors in a direction at right angles thereto.

3. The invention as defined in claim l, in which guide rails are provided on each side of said first carton feeding means.

4. The invention as defined in claim l, in which a rear stop plate is provided adjacent said tines to hold said plurality of rows of cartons from sliding ofi said tines.

5. The invention as defined in claim l, in which a vertically movable hood is provided for loosely guiding said group of cartons while they are being deposited downwardly into said packing case after the retraction of said tines.

6. The invention as defined in claim 5, in which said hood is provided with flared bottom edges to facilitate the assembly of said hood over the exterior of said group of cartons.

7. The invention as defined in claim 5, in which pneumatic means are provided for elevating and depressing said hood.

8. The invention as defined in claim 5, in which an ejector plate is mounted for reciprocation in said hood to push said cartons downwardly into said case, and pneumatic means for operating said ejector plate.

9. In an apparatus for loading cartons into a packing case, means to rigidly support a packing case, means for feeding a plurality of said cartons in three parallel rows upon a plurality of tines carried by a pneumatically driven horizontal pusher plate, means for transferring four.

rows of three cartons each off of said tines above the position of said packing case, and means to support said cartons above said packing case and lower them thereinto comprising a plurality of upstanding rods passing through apertures in the bottom of said packing case.

10. The invention as defined in claim 9, in which a ared hood is provided which loosely fits around the four sides of said dozen cartons arranged in rectangular formation for guiding said cartons smoothly into said packing case, after said tines have been retracted.

No references cited. 

